Strand distributor



C- 10, 1933- J. A. WHITAKER STRAND DISTRIBUTOR Filed Nov. 8, 1930 Patented Oct. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES 1,929,940 STRAND DISTRIBUTOR John A. Whitaker, Oak Park, Ill., assignor :to v,

Western Electric Company,

Incorporated, New

York, N. Y.a corporation of New York Application November` s, 1930. serial No. 494,228'

4 claims. (c1. 2427-158) Y l This invention relates to strand distributors, and more particularly to a strand distributor for use in the winding of electrical coils. i a

The primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved distributor for a strand winding machine which will insure the accurate distribution of the strandto produce uniformly wound layers thereof.

, In accordance with one embodiment of this invention as applied to a winding machine forv producing electrical coils of the paper lled type, there is provided a strand distributor engaging the periphery of and reciprocable of the coil vand movable outwardly therefrom during the winding thereof in a single definite path in response to the increasing diameter of the coil Ywith eachlayer of strand wound thereon. Speciiically, the'distributor comprises a strand guide carriedA by a vertically sliding bar upon which is journaled a roller which engages the periphery of the rotating coil while being reciprocated to and fro along the coil by suitable traversing mechanism, `the strand guide being mounted within the circumference of the roller and adjacent the periphery ofthe `mit movement ofthe roller in a single definite rectilinear path away from vthe axis-of the coil to accommodate the increasing diameterl of the .coil as successive layers of strand are wound thereon and thereby causing thegguide, due to its single denite movementwith the roller andthe bar, to deliver-the strand to the coil in uniformly wound layers. Also the baris frictionally maintained, by a brake mechanism, `in any position relative to the axisV of the coil to which it may be moved, the brake mechanism `permitting lthe vguide carrying bar to be moved in accordance with the increasing diameter' of the coil,A or to Y beV moved manuallyinto or out ,of its operative positionwith respect to the coil, and maintaining description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. l is a front elevation of a strand distributor embodying the features of this invention arranged in operative relation to a coil being wound,

outline;

Figs. 2 and 3 are side and plan views, respec-` tively, of the distributor illustrated in Fig. l; i

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail fragmentary sectional-view of a portion of Fig. 2, and

' 55 Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged detail vertical and` coil. The bar is slidably mounted so as to perthe latter being shown fragmentarilyr in dotted tioned in the aperture 23.

horizontal sections ltaken on thelines 5;-7-5 and rfv 66,.respectively, oiFig. 2,.showing.strand guiding lingers of the distributorr in 'detached rela'- tion therewith. i

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the Iriu- ',670 meral vl0 indicates a traversing rod controlledby a reciprocating mechanism (not shown) whereby the rod is reciprocated longitudinally ofthe axis of rotation of a core 11 or a coil 12shown fragmentarily in dotted .outline (Figs. Land 2) ,Q5

.for the purpose of distributing wire .13- in adja'- "i cen-t helices .upon the rotating coil.` The reciprocating'mechanism and the means forsupporting and rotating the coil maybe of'a well known type and therefore a detailed disclosure anddscrip-O tion. thereof are not considerednecessary, since they form no part of the presentinvention.

Clamped to the ytraversing rod ,10 as indicated at 15 is a v,Y-shaped bracket 16 uponwhich,y is mounted for movement along a .rectilinear path laterally ofthe longitudinal axis of the core 11 or coil 12 a strand or wire distributor 17. The bracketV 16 has parallelspaced arms `19 `which are bifurcated at their outer left ends (Fig. 2) which has slidable therein in a vertical direction of the :Q0 arms 19 a bar .2O maintained in a vertical position upon the bracket 16 by Vplates 21 bolted to the furcations of the armsf19, the'bifurcatedarms and the plates providing slidew'ays for the bar 20 .i which` permit a `movement thereof in a dreiiniteff rectilinear path. Formed yinthe bar 20 and extending from itsupperend to a pointv 22 Vis a shouldered circular aperture 23. Extending horizontally acrossthe bar 20 is a slot25, the .upper end of which coincides with the point 22, Y P'ivoted?o as indicatedat 26 within the' slot 25 isa brake"' shoe 27 Vwhich-freely fits between the opposite vertical walls of the slot as shown in,Fig. 1, and Ais of substantially the same width as thebar 20, as Viewed in Fig. 2., Ythe upper and lower ends of .thepg5 shoe being spaced from the corresponding ends of the slot 25. `'Ihe upper end surface of the shoe 27 (Fig. 4) Ais at-one sideformed with araised portion 28 which extendsinwardly from itsouter edge -to a point-slightly `Within the smaller orfloo lower diameter of theaperture 23 formed in. theF -bar 20, the pivotal point 26 of the shoe2'7 occurring adjacent its opposite side. slidably iitted in the lower end of the aperture 23 of the barf20 is a plunger 29 which engages the raised portionl05 28 of 4the pivotal shoe v27 and whichlispressed downwardly into engagement with the portion 28 of the shoe 27 by a compression spring`32V posi- Compression of the spring is vmade variable by a hand screw`33 thread-T5110 ed into the upper end of the aperture and engaging the upper end of the spring.

It will be evident that the pressure of the spring pressed plunger 29 against the raised portion 28 of the pivotal shoe 27 will at all times tend to rock the shoe about its pivot 26'in a counterclockwise direction to cause lan engagement ofthe right side thereof with the adjacent surface of the lower arm 19 of the bracket 16, and due to the frictional contact therebetween the bar 20 will be maintained in any vertical position to which it is moved upon the bracket during the operation of winding the coil 12 in a manner to be described hereinafter. Furthermore due to the accurate mounting of the bar 20 in the arms 19 of the bracket 16 and the action of the spring pressed shoe 27 no movement of the bar other than itsmovement in a'vertical definite rectilinear pathpcan occur. This insures a very accurate delivery of the wire 13 'duri ing the winding operation.

The lower end of the bar 20 is provided with a slot 34 intermediate its sides (Figji) in which is mounted two spaced wire guide plates 35 and 36, a spacing block 39 being entered therebetween. Upon opposite sides of the bar 20 at its lower end are similar roller and sheave supporting plates 40, which are secured in position togethcr with the guide plates 35 and 36 and the spacing block 39` by a pair of bolts. Rotatably journaled between the platesY 40 upon arms 42 thereof is aroller 43 formed with flanges 46 which `roll upon the periphery of the coil 12 during the winding operation. Also rotatably journaled between the plates 40 upon arms 47 thereof is a wire guidingl sheave 48, the roller and sheave being centered with .the wire guiding space provided be- .tween the Qspaced plates 35 and 36 (Fig. l) The Vforward or left ,end oif the'plates 35 and 36as '.viewed in Figs. 1 and.2, respectively,are similar in'shape and lextend between the flanges of the roller 43 and clear the smaller central circumference ofthe roller. A V f l Y Attheirextreme lower forward ends the plates 35 and 36 are shaped to provide wire distributing or guiding fingers 49, the fingers lbeing bent inwardly .to lessen the space between the plates at this point'to substantially the diameter of the wire 13 which iszto form'the coil 12 thereby providing a comparativelyl short distance along the opposite surfaces of the fingers with which the traveling wire isclosely associated, and'consequentlyreducing frictional engagement between "the wire and theY plates to a minimum. Means to' be presently described is .provided for varying the space betweerrthe fingers 49 to accommodate different diametersof wire. It willV be noted, re-

' ferr-ing to Figs 1 and 2,that no engagement between the periphery of the-coilf12 and the plates 435and 36 is possible, since the periphery of the Vroller 4 3V is outside the adjacentj-ngers49 of the plates and engages the coil, but at the same time'a minimum space is providedtherebetween: so that the wire 13 is guided right up to its winding point. Y The wire lguide plates 35 and 36 at their right sides (Fig.`2) extend up close to vthe periphery of the sheave'fl, thel plate 35 extending around the underside of the sheave 48 for a short distance, while the plate 36 Vis cut -off Y Y' on a vertical line at the left `side of the sheaveY 48 as indicated'at 50.

Mounted on the plate 35 at the right Yof the' point ,50 of the plate 36 is a lspring clip 53 beari ing at its free end against the plate 36. The pur- 'pose of cutting off the plate` 36 at the point 50 and mounting' the clip 53 upon the plate 35 in engagement with the plate 36 is to facilitate the threading of the wire 13 between the plates after passing it around the sheave 48, which is accomplished by threading the wire between the clip 53 and the plate 36 to position the wire as shown in Fig. 6. This threading of the Wire over the clip 53 also prevents the wire, when slackness occurs upon completion of a winding operation, when the wire from the supply is severed, from dropping froin between the plates.

' Referring particularly to Fig. 5, the wire guide plate-35 has fixed thereto an internally threaded collar 54,'into which is threaded an outwardly and internally threaded collar 55, slotted `at its outer end and abutting at its inner end the inner surface of the plate 36. When the collar 55 is rotatedin one direction in the collar 54, its inner end engaging the plate 36 serves to flex the plates 35"and 36 outwardly from each other to widen the space therebetween, particularly the space between ythe fingers 49 in accordance with the di- "ameter of theyparticular wire 13, and when the collar 55 isrotated in a' reverse direction the space between the'iingers 49 may be decreased.A Threaded into the'collarr55 is a screw 56 for clamping the plates 35 and 36in their set position after an adjustment, the screw being rst threaded outwardly in the collar 55 when it is necessary to makean adjustment of the space between the fingers A59.y

In the operation of winding a coil 12 by means of a winding machine whichl includes the strand or wire distributor 17 hereinbefore described, the end of the wire 13 is led from a usual tensioned supply source (not shown) to and over a sheave i.

57 journaled on the bracketV 16, to and under the '.sheave 48; between the clip 53 and the guide plate 36 and into thespace between the plates 35v and 36, and thence the space between the fingers 49v thereof and secured in a usual manner to the re- `volvable core 11 upon which the wire is wound to form `'the coil 12, the flanged roller 43 resting on the periphery ofthe core and straddling'the wire. During the rotation of the core 11 in the` direction ci the arrow (Fig. 2) and simultaneously with the reciprocation ofthe traversing rod 10,

the wire 13 f is advanced by the rotation of and Ywound'up'on the core vin close adjacent helices,

rs't Yin one ldirection and then in'a reverse direction to form successive layers, and as the diameter oirlthe coilf12 gradually increases with each successive layer -olf wire wound -upon the core, the hanged `r1ler43 moves freely upwardly. A movement of theroller 43 upwardly carries with it the barl 20 and the attached parts forming the, wire distributorv 17.` During this upward vmovement of the bar 20 the pivotal brake shoe tributor 17 in position abovethe wound coil.

The finished coil A12 is then removed vfrom 'the winding machine and a core' 11 for the next coil to ybe wound is mounted in position. Thereafter the operator-slides the guide 17 downwardly intoA operative position'by merely pressing downwardly upon the hand screw 33, the roller 43 contacting with the periphery of the core 11 ready for the winding of the next coil. After insuring that the end of the wire 13 is still properly threaded between the guide fingers 49 of the plates 35 and 36 and is secured to the core 11, the coil winding operation proceeds as hereinbefore described.

Although the construction of the strand or wire distributor illustrated in the drawing and hereinbefore described may be used to advantage in con-A nection with the winding of a particular type of electrical coils, it should be understood that its use may have a broader application, and furthermore it should not be limited to the particular construction shown, except as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a strand material distributor, the combination with a rotatable element on which strand material is to be wound, of a distributor including a carriage reciprocable longitudinally of the rotatable element, a member operatively associated with the periphery of the rotatable element and movable outwardly therefrom in response to the increasing diameter of the body of strand material Wound on the element, said member movable upon the carriage in a rectilinear path, strand material guiding and distributing elements positioned adjacent the periphery of the rotatable element and movable with said member, and means for maintaining said member in any of a plurality of different positions.

2. In a strand material distributor for coil winding machines including means for supporting and rotating a core on which strand material is to be wound, a carriage reciprocable longitudinally of the core, a sliding member resting upon the periphery of the core and movable upwardly in response to the increasing diameter of the body of strand material wound on the core, said carriage having slideways upon which said sliding member may move only in a single definite path, strand material guiding and distributing elements positioned adjacent the periphery of wardly in response to the increasing diameter of the body of strand material Wound on the core, said carriage having slideways adapted to receive said -member for movement only in a single definite path, strand guiding and distributing ngers positioned adjacent the periphery of the core and movable With said member, means carried by said member for constantly applying friction between the carriage and the member for maintaining thelatter in any of a plurality of different positions, and means for varying the degree of friction between the carriage and the member.

4; In a strand material distributor for coil winding machines including means for supporting and rotating a core on which strand material is to be wound, a carriage reciprocable longitudinally of the core, a slidable member engaging the periphery of the core and movable outwardly therefrom in response to the increasing diameter of the body of strand material Wound on the core, said carriage having slideways adapted to receive said member for'movement only in a single definite path, strand guiding and distributing fingers positioned adjacent the periphery of the core and movable Withsaid member, a brake shoe pivotally mounted on said member for engaging a surface of said carriage for maintaining the member in any of a plurality of different positions, and a spring pressed plunger `mounted in said member in operative engagement with said brake shoe to constantly urge said shoe into engagement with the surface of the carriage.

JOHNr A. WHITAKER.

Y ne 

